UConn Coach Thanks Fans for Knicks-Like Game

The University of Connecticut head coach sent his thanks to the Madison Square Garden crowds that often pull for the New York Knicks.

Dec 14, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Connecticut Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts to a call in the first half against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The University of Connecticut's men's basketball team had a special sixth man when they took to Madison Square Garden hardwood on Saturday night: New York Knicks fans.

Backed by a mostly pro-UConn crowd, the Huskies earned a 77-71 over eighth-ranked Gonzaga as part of the Hall of Fame Series. With the Knicks on the road, many returned to MSG to voice their support for the two-time defending national champions and head coach Dan Hurley was sure to acknowledge their efforts.

"Just the emotion of playing in this building and for us how special it is, and the way our fans turn out when we play here, it sounded like a Knicks playoff game," Hurley said in a video interview with Andy Katz on the official social channels of NCAA March Madness. "I'm proud of the group ... The early-season struggles have made us really, really strong and really, really deserving."

Following a disappointing showing in the Maui Invitational, UConn (8-3) has won four in a row. While no one will loosen the stranglehold that the Knicks have on the imaginations of the city's basketball fans, the Huskies have formed quite the metropolitan residency.

Over the past 13 months, UConn has posted a perfect 7-0 mark at MSG, with three of those tallies coming in last season's run to the Big East Conference Men's Basketball Tournament championship. Last year's title, earned against a Marquette group led by current Knicks rookie Tyler Kolek, was Connecticut's first since returning to the conference in 2021 and its eighth overall to tie Georgetown for the most championships in the Garden mainstay.

Perhaps the Garden volume partly swayed Hurley away from the NBA over the offseason: the Jersey City, NJ native was said to be in contention for the Los Angeles Lakers' top job but he opted to remain in Connecticut, allowing the job to pass onto JJ Redick.

Hurley and the Huskies will be back in Manhattan when they face the St. John's Red Storm on Feb. 23. In the meantime, their 2024-25 Big East opener awaits on Wednesday when they face Xavier in Hartford (7 p.m. ET, FS1).

Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

• Knicks In Awe of Bridges Streak
• Knicks End Weekend, NBA Cup on Magic Note
• Liberty In Review: Courtney Vandersloot
• Hart Peeved, Indifferent to Trae Young Taunt
• Breen Offers Heartfelt Tribute to High School Coach